Book Description

Includes a paperback book and set of dominoes with instructions. Easy to store. Just put the book and game pieces back in the reusable pouches of the package when you're done! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Domino Addition
An excellent book! My 5 year old has improved dramatically thanks to this wonderful book on addition. The use of Dominos is such a clever idea. We use our own set of Dominos to practice and my son loves it.

exellent for emerging mathematicians
I have just borrowed this book from a library and my four year old loves it. I had no idea, till today, that he can actually understand that 2+2=4 and that also 3+1=4. But today everything seemed so easy and so fun. We have seen quite a few "counting" books and this is so far the best of them. Another one I can reccomend is "My first number book" by Marie Heinst ... Read more

Book Description

original problems in math and logic, featuring permutations, combinations, properties of numbers, algebra, solid and plane geometry, logic and probability. Although only high school math is needed to solve these problems, even accomplished mathematicians are likely to find some surprises here. Complete and ingenious solutions provided for all problems. 31 explanatory drawings.
... Read more

Book Description

Following the content of the standard school curriculum, this book presents in 418 problems and diversions the basic ideas of arithmetic. Averages, fractions, decimals, percent, powers and roots, etc. Shortcuts, checking methods, also introduced in this enjoyable format. 120 illustrations.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ideal for maths teacher!
This book provides a lot of interesting and funny maths activities which would be able to help dynamic teachers in introducing elementary techniques to their young students. ... Read more

Book Description

For those fascinated by the abstract universe of mathematics, David Gale's columns in The Mathematical Intelligencer have been a prime source of entertainment. Here Gale's columns are collected for the first time in book form. Encouraged by the magazine's editor, Sheldon Axler, to write on whatever pleased him, Gale ranged far and wide across the field of mathematics but frequently returned to favorite themes: triangles, tilings, the mysterious properties of sequences given by simple recursions, games and paradoxes, and the particular automaton that gives this collection its title, the "automatic ant". The level is suitable for those with some familiarity with mathematical ideas, but great sophistication is not needed. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The pleasure of mathematics as a hobby
Recreational mathematics nay be a misnomer to some, but to practitioners, it is an addiction. Whether it be creating new puzzles or solving those made by others, the thrill of the chase and the pride in solution make it an interesting and exciting hobby. A precise definition of recreational mathematics is impossible, often being a matter of personal taste. However, there are some areas that definitely satisfy the criteria, and in this book, Joseph Madachy, the longtime editor of Journal of Recreational Mathematics describes them and gives some example problems. Many of these topics have been around for centuries without losing any of their charm.
The logic puzzle is very old, with the riddle of the sphinx being a part of Greek mythology. Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, has been around for centuries. Although the folding of paper to make new designs is covered in this book, origami as it is normally defined, is not. The most famous commentator on magic squares is none other than Benjamin Franklin, the original American polymath. The properties of numbers have been used as a point of mysticism and religion from the time of the ancient Greeks. Although Madachy clearly has a great deal of respect for numbers, he never descends into the farce of numerology. Alphametics, or the expression of an arithmetic expression as a collection of words, is a popular form of problem and can be used as a source of problems for courses in beginning algebra.
Problems and puzzles, whether they be crossword, word search, character shifting or encryption codes, are very popular, appearing regularly in most newspapers and magazines. Which verifies the enormous human capacity and interest in exercising our brains. In this book, there are many problems, all solved, that will generate an increase in the activity and efficiency of your cerebral neurons. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

first text to provide software for implementation of theory
This book provides a nice introduction to the mathematical theory of rare events and extreme values. It takes the point process approach to rare events using the empirical point process defined by the crossing of a high or low level to employ an approximate Poisson process. This approach has broad applicability and the authors use it to consider rare and extreme events for stochastic processes including Gaussian processes, Poisson point processes, extreme value models and nonparametric regression.

This book is noteworthy for its mix of theory and application and for the introduction of the software XTREMES. Chapter 6 is devoted to explaining how to analyze data for extremes using the software XTREMES. A diskette is included with the text with version 1.2 of XTREMES that is an interactive program that can run on MS-DOS operated computers. The text is very much up-to-date on the theoretical developments as of 1994. ... Read more

Book Description

This work presents a brief history of Christian calendar in a very simple way.It also unveils the mathematical secrets of calendar.It is a source of education and fun for children and adults alike.Have fun!Simplify calendar dates. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A great birthday gift for all ages
Mr. Farooqui has really brought the gregorian calender to one's fingertips. Calendar information about 1752 is really amazing and fun to review.

A great birthday gift for all ages

Mathematical Secrets of Christian Calendar Revealed
The only book which gives calendars of all time (past to future). Fun for kids and adults alike. Must read for calendar researchers.

Mathematical Secrets of Christian Calendar Revealed
The only book which will tell you about calendar of all times. Fun for kids and adults alike. Knowledge, fun game and education in one package. Must read for calendar researchers. ... Read more

Book Description

Challenging and stimulating collection of diverting brain-teasers helps high school students integrate simple techniques and complex problem-solving strategies in an enjoyable way. Problems involving squares and cubes, polyhedra, prime numbers, chess pieces, and other subjects are grouped into 29 sections, with easier problems appearing at the beginning of each. A valuable tool for teachers, this absorbing book will also appeal to individuals working alone who want to develop problem-solving techniques. Solutions included. 1987 ed.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Puzzles that Really Teach Math!
I'm a math teacher and tutor, and I find most math puzzles and recreations to be a little academic at best, and needlessly obscure at worst. The exercises in Gardiner's book, however, are rich in useful mathematical ideas, and each question builds on previous ones in the chapter. After playing with these puzzles, the student (and teacher!) will be able to apply what they've learned to other math questions. Everything from number theory to geometry is touched upon in these challenging, thought-provoking excursions for the mind. ... Read more

Book Description

tantalizing teasers including coin and change problems, relative ages, time and distance, and 40 alphametics—innovative letter substitutions. Solutions.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

A collection of puzzles with style
Puzzles are a pleasant affliction of mine, and I am always searching out new ones to tackle. When I first read this book almost twenty years ago, I walked through all of the problems, solving most of them fairly quickly after the words were translated into the equivalent algebraic equation. However, the algebra part of the solution is not the most pleasant part of solving a puzzle. What makes a puzzle most attractive is the quality of the prose used in the description, and most of these are quite good. Some are written in the form of limericks or rhyme, which makes them as fun to read as they are to solve. When reading the book again in preparation for this review, I enjoyed the problems as much as I did the first time.
If you are a fan of puzzles with style, then you will truly enjoy this book. I will no doubt read it again in another twenty years. ... Read more

Book Description

When Archimedes, while bathing, suddenly hit upon the principle of buoyancy, he ran wildly through the streets of Syracuse, stark naked, crying "eureka!" In The Moment of Proof, Donald Benson attempts to convey to general readers the feeling of eureka--the joy of discovery--that mathematicians feel when they first encounter an elegant proof.

This is not an introduction to mathematics so much as an introduction to the pleasures of mathematical thinking. And indeed the delights of this book are many and varied. The book is packed with intriguing conundrums--Loyd's Fifteen Puzzle, the Petersburg Paradox, the Chaos Game, the Monty Hall Problem, the Prisoners' Dilemma--as well as many mathematical curiosities. We learn how to perform the arithmetical proof called "casting out nines" and are introduced to Russian peasant multiplication, a bizarre way to multiply numbers that actually works. The book shows us how to calculate the number of ways a chef can combine ten or fewer spices to flavor his soup (1,024) and how many people we would have to gather in a room to have a 50-50 chance of two having the same birthday (23 people).But most important, Benson takes us step by step through these many mathematical wonders, so that we arrive at the solution much the way a working scientist would--and with much the same feeling of surprise.

Every fan of mathematical puzzles will be enthralled by The Moment of Proof.Indeed, anyone interested in mathematics or in scientific discovery in general will want to own this book. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Very few epiphanies make for a disappointment
I found this book to be a disappointment. In the introduction, the author talks about proofs that occur due to a sudden burst of insight, a phenomena he calls a mathematical epiphany. The next point is that he hopes to share instances of mathematical epiphany with the readership. However, the material of the book is largely routine mathematics that has appeared in many other popular works. The promised aha! moments are practically nonexistent. There are no mathematical epiphanies to be found in the mathematics of secret codes, the finding of large primes, the development of the negative numbers and the fundamentals of a proof by contradiction or infinite descent.
That aside, the book is well written, as Benson explains things in great detail. Anyone interested in popular mathematics will find interesting topics, my point is that there are no points of revelation. Perhaps I have been spoiled by the material in "Aha! Insight", that wonderful book by Martin Gardner, where apparently difficult problems are suddenly solved by looking at them a different way.

Good for Laymen
This book has been written for laymen, but unlike most such books manages to convey the flavor of mathematics. It also contains a fair bit of elementary combinatorics and number theory. It can take its place alongside Courant and Robbins' "What is Mathematics", and Hilbert and Cohn-Vossen's "Geometry and the Imagination." It could be read with profit and enjoyment by college freshmen intending to specialise in mathematics, and used in enrichment programs in high schools.My only cavil is that the book is too short (330 pages).

Delivers on the promise of the title
A good mathematical proof can be better than sex.

My definition of the joy of mathematics:

You have a few facts, awkwardly arrayed. You have some idea of a new fact you think might be a logical consequence of those facts. You start finding ways of stating them more interestingly. This may lead you to defining new composite concepts. You play around with them for a while. Sometimes you have to throw them out and start over. Often if you are brilliant, once in a great while if you are me, things start falling into place rather elegantly. Then you finally discover a snappy way of articulating all the pieces of a problem and the proof pops out.

And it feels amazing.

This book allows people like me, who wish they could have these moments more often, to live them vicariously through the great selection of theorems and demonstrations Donald Benson has put together. I didn't find this book particularly hard to read. In fact, I often read it while walking -- wishing I had a chalkboard, admittedly. It is written for laypersons who are not afraid to spend quite a bit of time on a page: all the knowledge you need is there, but seeing how it fits together to produce a given result can take some effort. The proofs are all some combination of elegant, surprising, and subtle, and always cause a few minutes of ecstasy.

Too serious
This is not a college textbook, and, I think, it meant to be fun to read. Like most textbooks, the size of the book is too big - you need to sit down and hold a pencil to read it. All the fun will be gone if reading books this way. After all, we are not reading this book to make a living. Make the book smaller, easier to read. Get rid of the big margins. Most of the math in the book is elementary, who really needs the big margins?

Fun exercises of medium to hard difficulty
The examples chosen here are based on their elegance and charm. The author is a former math professor so he doesn't take a lightweight route and oversimplify things. Is that good or bad? That depends on the reader. But to take full advantage of the book, one should read it with scratch paper and pen by your side.

An interesting book for someone who's willing to dig in. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Another work from the master of explaining mathematics
This book is another pillar holding up the banner that proclaims the author to be 'the most ubiquitous man in the most ubiquitous of fields." He seems to have no mathematical weaknesses, attacking and explaining every topic with charm, wit, grace and thoroughness. It there is such a thing as mathematical savoir-faire, Martin Gardner possesses it.
In this work, Dr. Gardner explains fractal music, the Bell numbers and their uses, Egyptian fractions, packing circles and squares, mathematical chess problems, imaginary numbers, and tangent circles. He also discusses the career of Charles Saunders Pierce and the book Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter. Negative comments on minimal sculpture and psychic research methods are also included.
Informative as well as entertaining, the works of this author should be part of every liberal education.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission. ... Read more